Cutting attachment for thrashing machines



Nov. 24, 1931. wY r-:xLlNE ET AL CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR THRASHING MACHINES Filed Dec. '26. 192e 2 Sheets-sheer 1 v ENTpPs xl ATTORNEYS,

Nom 24, 1931 w. ExLlNE ET Ax. 1,833,519

CUTTING ATTACHMENT FCR THRASHTNC MACHINES 26 2 SheetS/-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 1928 fyi/"y2,

ol//fo o o o o ATTORNEYS.

" Patented Nov. 24, 1931 rienv STATES PATENT OFFICE CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR THRJASHIN G MACHINES Application filed December 26, 1928. Serial No. 328,489.

.This invention relates toimprovements in cutting mechanism for attachment to thrashing machines.

The Vprimary object of this invention is the provision of cutting mechanism operably located upon a thrashing machine across the feed opening to the feeder housing thereof bymeans of which the heads of grain to be thrashed may be efliciently cut and in a relalotion to permit the headsv to drop upon the feeder belt andbe conveyed tothe thrashing cylinder. t

The improved thrashing machine cutter v will find its most effectiveI use in connection "y with the topping of Kaiirk corn, maize, and

cane crops, and will enable ther thrashing ma-y chine to be used in the field, and drawn about along a shock row, and the bundles picked up by an operator and dropped with their heads 0 across the cutter in such relation that the seed heads alone are thrashed in an expeditious and efficient relation.

@ther objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course T of the following detailed description.

In the drawings, wherein `for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the cutter and different w ys of operating the same.

Figure 1 isl a side view of the improved cutter, showing it in its attached relation across the openingv to the feeder house to a thrashing machine.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the sickle or cutter bar.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 3 3 of Figure et.

Figure 4 isa fragmentary elevation showing the driving` connection of the operating 403 mechanism with the sickle bar.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substant-ially on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a modified end construction of I y the sickle bar.

Figure 7 is a sectional view showing the driving connection with the modification of Figure 6.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference A characters designate corresponding parts 504throughout the several views, the letter A may generally designate the thrashing machine, of a conventional type, upon which the improved cutting mechanism B is operatively associated in a novel relation.

Referring to the thrashing machine A, the same comprises the chassis 10, of which the frame 1'1 is a part, and upon which conventionaly details of the thrashing machine A are mounted. ri`hese` details include a thrasher housing 12, wherein a thrashing cylinder (not shown) is mounted, upon a shaft 13. A feeder housing 1st is part of the thrashing machine, positioned intermediate the ends thereof, in the lower part of which an endlessy belt feeding conveyor 15 is provided. One side of the housing 111 is open at 17, so that the grain to be thrasheu may be disposed or thrown into the housing la upon the conveyor 15, from whence it is carried to the thrashing cylinder, as is well understood in the art. A feeder drive counter shaft 17 is rotatably supported upon the chassis, having conventional driving connection with the power plant 18 mounted on the fore part of the chassis. Cleaning fan mechanism 19 overhangs the conveyor in approved relation. It is the usual practice to either thrash the whole bundle of such grain, which is not easy or economical, or to cut the seed heads with some kind of a knife and then move the thrashing machine to a stationary location where such heads are disposed, and thrash them. I am also .aware that it has been proposed to apply a cutter attachment to the platform of the harvester portion of a harvesting' and thrashing machine, but that in such instance `the machine or mechanism is stationary, and is not used as a traveling harvester or thrasher. However, with my invention, the cutter bar is operatively mounted across the opening to the feeder housing in such relation that the thrasher is used either while standing stationary, but preferably while traveling along a shock row; the operator'picking up the bundles and disposing the heads across the cutter mechanism so as to'cut them from the straw, from whence they fall into the traveling thrashing machine. This does away with the necessity of Y using the platform and reel'of the harvesting portion of the machine. l Referring to the cutting attachment B, the

same includes the bar which is riveted,

and itincludes a plurality of the usual tri- Y angular shaped cutting blades 3l extending upwardly`- therefrom in an article shearing I relation withl respectto-the guard fingers 29 which receive said blades in the usualnianner. It is of course obvious that the knife bar 30upon longitudinal sliding along thek movement of' theV guard bar `25 enables a bladesl between the spaced guard lingers 29to out thearticles which are placed upon the cutter mechanism.

Different means may be devised for moving the knifev bar of the lcutter mechanism. A

preferred construction is that of providing a crank 33 upon the drive shaft 17, at a side of i the thrashing machine, to which is pivotally l thechassis frame l0. The lever' 37 extends upwardly,and at Vthe upper end of its upper* .arm itispivotally connected with the knife.

necting-rod-Sa will be oscillated bythe crankv C5- 33, which in turn' will oscillate the lever 37 connected ,at its rear end, .a connecting rod 34, as byl bolt means 35. @The connecting rod 34e-'extends Vforwardly valong aside of the -thrashing machine, and is pivotally connected at 36 to the lower arm of a lever 37,k

which is pivotedfbetween its endsv at 38xupon bar 3Q. vDierent means may be provided'for pivotally connecting the lever 37 to the knife bar, A preferred construction is that shown in Figures l to ,5 of the drawings, which consists in longitudinally. slotting the upper end of the lever 37at 40, and securing atone side of the upperV end of the lever, a supportingA bracket al, which may be bolted at 42er otherwise secured l,as by welding or being integral-with the levcr.- The bracket Lll exi tendsY upwardlyV in spaced relation withl the upper slotted end of the lever, and itself is provided with a slot 413 longitudinally therepin 46," extending Vtransverse thereto and rigidly shrunk or" otherwise secured therein, providing'pin extensions at opposite sides of the knife bar, which slidably pivot in the Vslots 40 and 43, with the knife'bar lying in the space between the lever andthe bracket 4:1, as shown in Figure 3. It is apparent, that upon rotation ofthe drive shaft `17, the conside of the conof and aligning with the slot 40; Theknife bar SO'at its forward end is provided with a between its ends and cause a reciprocatory action of the cutting knife 80 upon the guard bar ofthe cutter mechanism B. v

. In lieu of the above described connection of the lever to the knife bar, the knife bar 30 may be provided with a ring-shaped rear end 50, shown in Figure 6, wherein an eccenltric 52 may be provided, which has an eccentrically disposed pin 53 carried thereon, and transversely extending at opposite sides therefrom. Y As is shown in Figure 7 of thevdrawings, the upper end` ofthe'lever 37a may be bifurc'ated, providing spaced fingers 56 and `57 providedwithv aligning openings which receive the oppositely extending pin ends of the pin 53,in=a lpivotal relation, withv the eccentric lying-between said lingers-56, and 57. Y

VThe eccentric 52 is ofcourse rotatablein the ring supportingl portion 50 and it is appark ent that oscillationofthe lever 37aar will enable the knife bar to reciprocate with such construction. v

Variousfchanges in the shape, size, and arrangementvof parts may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described,

without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the claim. y We claim: v

"As an attachment for a thrasher 'havingVV a feeder housing supported on a frame, a conveyorin the housing, the housing opening latorally ofthe conveyor, and a drive shaft below and adjacentr one end of the said feeder house opening, said attachment comprising a cutting mechanism disposed in a vertical plane and carried by the frame at the lower margin of the feeder. house opening, said cutting mechanism including a reciprocable knife 1 bar', a1 lever pivotally connected intermediate its ends to the thrasher frame at the side of the feeder housing opening opposite to said shaft, `and having its` upper arm operatively connected to the knife bar to reciprocate vsame upon oscillation of the lever, aV crank con e nected to the shaft,"and a connecting rod eX- tending Vlongitudinallyv of and below the feeder house opening and operatively con` nected tolsaid vcrank and to .the lower end of said'levento oscillate" the latter as the shaft revolves. 1 i' ,Y

' EXLINE.

EXLINE, JR. 

